My dog's tail wound is spreading after maggots. What should I do?

These maggot wounds are treatable, but turpentine and Betadine won't kill them all and will actually make the wound worse. They are best killed with camphor powder, but the maggots need to be pulled out from in the wound, or they will cause a severe infection. In order to pull them out, the dog often needs to be sedated. For this and other wound treatment, I highly recommend you take him to a vet doctor. For now, you should flush the wound using a syringe or other dispensing device with normal, clean, warm water for five minutes. This may not be easy, because dogs tend to hate this and will try to run away. I recommend having someone help you with this and holding Brando to make sure the wound gets flushed well. Infection is the biggest concern with these wounds; so after flushing, it's best to apply an antibacterial cream to the wound and a bandage. In order to keep the wound clean, it's best to flush the wound 1-2 times a day and gently wipe away any big crusts - make sure not to scrub the wound, because this can make it worse. Apply the antibacterial cream after each flushing. I hope that helps and Brando gets better soon.

Hi. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Shadow really needs to be seen by a vet ASAP. If there are maggots then there is a significant wound/lesion that needs attention. He may need to have it surgically debrided and likely needs pain medication and antibiotics. Some flea control products such as Capstar can help to kill maggots but the wound still needs to be thoroughly flushed and cleaned. In the case of maggots around the back end sometimes they can be in the rectum which can lead to sepsis or severe complications. Please get Shadow to a veterinarian today. He will also need to be kept indoors until the wound is completely healed or this may happen again.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This warrants a veterinary examination as soon as possible. While this cannot be sutured back in place for now as it is infected and inflamed, the ultimate goal would be to treat this wound aggressively and it can improve. This is not something that can be treated at home. This will require surgical debridement, cleaning and antibiotics. This is also painful and pain control medications need to be considered as well. Best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be happening secondary to a severe infection. This requires therapy as soon as possible for the maggots and the likely underlying infection. This is not something you can get over the counter and this requires a visit to a veterinarian for further assessment and local and systemic therapy. Have a great day!

I am sorry to hear about Soya. This lesion appears to be quite deep /extensive and I do not think that topical therapy alone will be sufficient to treat this. I would recommend getting Soya to a vet as soon as possible. They can shave around the wound and clean it/debride any tissue that is not healthy. Depending on the appearance in person they may also recommend a biopsy of the area. They can prescribe systemic antibiotics and she also may benefit from anti-inflammatory medication/pain relief. I would get her in as soon as possible based on the appearance in this photo. Best of luck to you and Soya.

I am very sorry to hear about your dog. Unfortunately at home treatment is definitely not adequate or appropriate for the severity of this lesion. It is difficult to tell without seeing this in person but I would be concerned about a potential tumor. You can refer to the article on this link http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html for ideas on paying for the vet bills/trying to find a vet you can afford for Brusky's care. In the meantime, I would put an e-collar on him if he is licking the area and keep him indoors except to use the bathroom because we would be concerned about flies causing maggots in this wound if the dog was outside for extended periods.

The spreading would depend on the severity of the infection, its type and the antibiotics you have available there. Some infection stay there localized. Tail injuries are quite tricky I have to admit. Not easy to medicate them and often amputation is required. You can try with broad spectrum antibiotics and bandage on tail (with swabs and thick tape; let your vet do it). If not working and healing fine amputation will be required unfortunately.